Fabric take-up mechanism



Sept. 26, 1939. R. H. LAWSON Er AL 2,174,271

FABRIC TAKE-UP MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 15, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 EIHIHIIIIIBIIHIIIHHI Sept. 26,- 1939.

R. H. LAWSON El AL FABRIC TAKE-UP MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 15, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 NO W W y VA im w m T f flfiA m? Mm? EEJAW w. LAWSON Er AL F! BRIC TAKE-UP MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet. 4

Original Filed Sept. 15, 1933 [JVVEJVYWRS $055571? [A WLswA/ A THUR M 62 007755, 5) f ATTb f ll HH Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE FABRIC TAKE--UP MECHANISM of Massachusetts Application September 15, 1933, Serial No. 689,678 Renewed July 29, 1937 12 Claims.

This invention relates to a fabric take-up being especially applicable to circular'hosiery machines such as of the type disclosed in. the patent to Hemphill 933,433, September '7, 1909, al-

though applicable to other types of knitting machines as Well.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation, partly in section, showing the take-up and means for automatically controlling the same;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in rear elevation of the means for effecting automatic operation of the take-up;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view partly in section, and in elevation, showing an enlarged view of the take-up rolls as well as of the means for effecting periodic movements of the said take-up rolls;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown. in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the take-up rolls and means for periodically turning the same;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing journals for supporting the take-up rolls;

Fig. '7 is a view in elevation showing pawling means for effecting periodic rotation of the takeup rolls; and

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing intermeshing of gears connected to the take-up rolls.

Referring to Fig. 1, the needle cylinder I, shown in section, is connected to and rotatable with the ring gear 2 which is mounted in a circular base 3 and rotated by a gear (not shown). Depending from and connected to the underside of the ring gear plate 2 are arms 4, 4' to which are connected brackets 5, 5 which latter in turn are connected to brackets 6, 6 attached to the take-up cylinder 1, (Fig. 3) through which the fabric passes, by means of screws 8. To the brackets 6, 6 are connected angle plates 9, 9 by means of screws It, Ill, which angle plates 3, 9' serve to prevent the fabric from creeping too far to one side or the other, in other words, keep the fabric properly centered between the take-up rolls. The take-up cylinder i which thus rotates with the needle cylinder terminates at its upper end in a horizontally disposed flange I which has a bearing on a stationary circular, flanged .pl-ate ll connected to an upright portion 12 of the machine frame by means of a bracket 13 to which latter is connected the circular plate or ring if by means of screws is while screws such as l5 rigidly connect the bracket it to the machine frame l2. Connected to and projecting laterally from the outer face of the plate H are pins such as 16. There may be any suitable number of these pins each of which is received within a slot I! which is angularly disposed with respect to the horizontal, the said slots being provided in a cam ring or annulus. it which surrounds the plate H. tated to and from the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4 by means including a link Hi the end of which is turned as at 20 being in threaded engagement with a hole provided in the annulus l8 as shown in Fig. 4. The link I9 at its other end is pivotally connected as at 2| to a lever 22 which latter is pivoted at its other end as at 23 to a bracket 26, the latter being connected to an upright portion 25 of the machine frame as by means of screws 25. Intermediate its ends the lever 22 is provided with a pin or roll 26 which is maintained in engagement with a cam drum or disc 2'1 as by means of a retractile spring 28 connected at one end to the lever 22 as at 29 and at its other end to the machine frame as at 30. l The cam drum or disc 2'! is provided upon its periphery with a. cam 31 which periodically enages the pin 26 thereby rocking the lever 22 and causing the link 19 to be moved to the left, Fig. 1. The aforesaid movement of the link l9 to the left causes the slots ill to ride up the pins I6 until they reach the position shown in Fig. 4. As will be noted from inspection of Figs, 3 and 4 the annulus l 8 is provided with a cut-away portion as indicated at 32, this being for the purpose of permitting the said annulus to move from the position shown in Fig. 3 without contacting with the bracket I3.

The cam drum or disc 21 is fastened to a shaft 33 which is mounted for turning movements in suitable brackets such as 3t!- fastened to the ma.- chine frame as by screws 35. Also made fast to the shaft 33 in a suitable manner (not shown) is a ratchet drum 36, the ratchet teeth 31 whereof are engaged by means of a pawl 38 pivoted at 39 to a lever arm 4! which at its other end terminates in a hub M made fast to a shaft 42 by set screws 43. A retractile spring 44 is connected at one end at $5 to hub ll and at its other end it intermediate the ends of the pawl 38 thereby maintaining the pawl in engagement with the ratchet teeth 3i. Between the said hub and machine frame and adjacent to the latter is a collar ll fixed to the shaft 42 as by means of screw 41', thereby maintaining the pawl 38 in proper position to engage the ratchet teeth 31.

On the other side of the upright 25 of the machine frame, to which upright is attached a bracket which serves as a bearing for the shaft 52, is connected in any suitable manner a sec- The annulus I8 is automatically rond lever arm 48 to which is pivotally connected by means of screw 49 an arm or link 50, the upper end of which is connected to an eccentric mounted upon a shaft 52 which itself is supported in bearings carried by the machine frame.

Movements of the shaft 52, which turns in timed relation With the needle cylinder, impart constant reciprocatory movements, through the medium of the connections hereinbefore described, to link 58, the pawl 38 thus advancing the ratchet 36 and consequently the shaft 33 each course or so of knitting. Continued advancing movements of the ratchet 36 finally cause the cam 3| to advance to such a position as to engage the pin or roll 26 and rock the lever 22 which moves the rod or link I9 to the left, Fig. 1, against the tension of spring 28. The movement of the link [9 causes the annulus l8 to be moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4, such movement being, preferably, timed to occur as a change from plain knitting to rib knitting is effected.

The upper surface or edge of the annulus I8 is cam-shaped and upon it rests. a pin or roll 53 which projects radially from and is connected to a lever 54 in the form of a plate, such lever being pivotally mounted upon a shaft 55 upon which is fixed the driven take-up roll 55, a shaft 51 supporting the companion take-up roll 58 Made fast to the shaft 55 as by means of screws 59 is a ratchet disc 60 the teeth of which are intermittently engaged and advanced by two pawls GI and 62, two other pawls 63 and 64 serving to hold the ratchet 60 in its advanced position after having been racked forward by the pawls BI, 62. The pawls 6|, 52 are pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin such as a screw 65 which is carried by a plate 54. Lever arms 66, 6'! connected respectively to pawls 6!, 62 are engaged by springs 68 and 69, the other ends of which are connected to a pin or screw which is fastened to and projects laterally from the lever plate 54. Likewise the pawls 53 and 54, pivotally mounted on a screw 65' carried by plate 54, have connected thereto lever arms H and 12 to which are connected respectively springs 13, 14, the latter being connected at their other ends to a pin or screw which is fast to and projects laterally from the bracket 5. The lever 54 is provided with an arm 16 to the free end of which is connected 1'! an upstanding link 18 which passes through a roller 19, the latter being free to turn in an arm 80 which is part of the bracket 6. The link or rod 18 projects upwardly from the roller 19 terminating in an adjustable collar 8| and between the said collar 8| and the roller 1'9 is a coil spring 82. When the annulus I8 is in the relatively raised position shown in Fig. 4, the highest portion of the cam defined by the upper surface of the said annulus obviously elevates the roll 53 to a greater extent than when the annulus is in the relatively lowered position shown in Fig. 3; and as a consequence thereof the annulus [8, when in the position shown in Fig. 4, compresses the spring 82 to such an extent as to permit the said spring, when the high point of the annulus I 8 passes off the roll 53, to tend to advance the ratchet 59 and consequently the take-up rolls to such an extent as to impose considerable tension upon the fabric, whereas when the annulus is in the relatively lowered position shown in Fig. 3, the high portion of the upper surface of the annulus i8 elevates the roll 53 a relatively shorter distance thus compressing the spring 82 only slightly.

The action of the annulus l8, roll 53 and spring 82 just described, may be continuous (i. e., during the knitting of each course) throughout the knitting of plain portions of the fabric when the annulus is in the position shown in Fig. 3 and during the knitting of rib fabric when the annulus is in the relatively raised position shown in Fig. 4, or the action of the said annulus, roll and spring may be intermittent. Whether or not during the knitting of the plain and rib portions of the fabric the spring 32 functions to advance the take-up rolls each course of knitting, depends upon the tension of the forming fabric, e. g., if the tension of the forming fabric is sulficient to resist turning of the take-up rolls, turning of the ratchet 65 is resisted and the roll 53 is held in a relatively elevated position where the cam surface of the annulus may be ineffective further to compress the spring 8f. until the forming fabric permits the take-up rolls to turn thereby allowing the roll 53 to drop to a position where it may be again elevated by the cam surfaces of the annulus IS.

The purpose of the two pawls Si, 52 and their companion pawls 63, 64 respectively, is to avoid the use of a great number of teeth in the ratchet 69; in other words, by the two-pawl arrangement, one-half the number of teeth can be dispensed with, as will be evident from the ensuing description of operation. As will be noted, the pawl Si is shown as being well within the notch provided by the adjacent teeth of the ratchet 60, whereas the point of the pawl 62 is shown as resting about midway of a tooth. As a consequence of this arrangement, rotation of the take-up rolls and roll 53 will cause the lever plate 54 to be rocked upon its pivot whereupon the pawl 62 will pass off the tooth 83 and into the notch between the said tooth and the following tooth. After the roll 53 passes off the high point of the cam face of the annulus I8, the coil spring 82 exerts its influence by raising the arm 15 of the lever 54 and thereby causing the pawl 62 to be depressed which advances the ratchet wheel 60 in the direction of the arrow 84. Coincidently with the pawl 62 dropping off the tooth 83 the companion pawl 64 moves off the tooth 85. The result of the just mentioned series of operations advances the ratchet wheel or disc 60 through an are measured by one-half the distance between adjacent teeth, the point of pawl 61 after the said racking occupying the position theretofore occupied by the point of the pawl 62 as a consequence of which the next turn of the needle cylinder and take-up rolls will cause said pawl (ii to drop off the tooth 83 and impart another short racking movement to the ratchet 60, the combined effect of the racking movements of the pawls 6i and 62 being to advance the ratchet 50 through an are measured by the distance between two adjacent teeth. The pawl 63 acts in conjunction with the pawl 6| in the same manner as the pawl 54 acts in conjunction with the pawl 62.

In Fig. 6 oil ducts 86 and 8'! communicate with an oil hole 88 and lubricate the bearings for the shafts 55 and 51.

The take-up roll 58 is so mounted with respect to the roll 56 as to permit the said roll 58 to recede slightly from the roll 56 to accommodate various thicknesses in the fabric. The accommodation is provided by means of screws 89 and 89 which are in threaded engagement with bosses 90 and 9|. In engagement with the inner faces and surrounding pins carried by the screws 89, 89', are springs such as coil spring iii, the said springs being seated within mating recesses formed in the bosses 90, Bil and the adjacent faces of the brackets 6, 6. The other ends of the springs iii are in engagement with recessed sliding pieces 92 which are seated in the mentioned recesses in the brackets 6, B, the other ends of the sliding pieces 92 being more or less cup-shaped and being maintained in yielding engagement with the shaft '57. The screws 89, 89 may be adjusted to increase or decrease the tension of the springs 9!.

Adjacent to the outer face of the bracket 6 the shafts '5, 5'! have affixed thereto intermeshing gears 93, M as a consequence of which the intermittent movements imparted to the shaft 55 are likewise communicated to the shaft 51, the consequent opposite rotation of the take-up rolls 55, 58 thus maintaining the fabric passing between them under suitable tension.

In Fig. 1 at 95 is shown an auxiliary take-up mechanism adapted for use immediately following the knitting of heels and toes; however, as the said auxiliary take-up mechanism forms no necessary part of the present invention, detailed description of the same is omitted.

In the foregoing description reference has been made to one cam 3!. In addition to the said cam 3| a second cam 96 may also be provided when a rib instep is to be knitted in which case the cam 96 is operative during the knitting of the foot and the cam 3! during the knitting of the leg.

Although in the foregoing description the invention has been set forth as being applied to a knitting machine adapted to knit rib and plain fabric, one a continuation of the other, the invention in its broader aspects is applicable to knitting machines adapted to knit plain fabric without special features or in conjunction with wrap stripe or split-foot knitting. It has long been known that take-ups improve the appearance of a fabric by avoiding the possibility of improper casting off of the stitches which sometimes results in a needle, upon again being elevated, rupturing some of the strands of the thread thereby causing the fabric to have a nonuniform appearance. Take-ups heretofore used while they insured the proper casting off of the stitches, were not satisfactory because of the fact that their take-up rolls were constantly racked which thereby causes a continual drawing of the knitted web such drawing at times being in excess of the web knitted, the result being that the fabric web would be placed under considerable tension, the tension finally becoming so great as to cause the web to slip through the take-up rolls. The fabric knitted under such conditions would not be uniform from course to course, the portion of the fabric knitted subsequently to release of the take-up tension having a different appearance from that knitted while the fabric was subjected to considerable tension.

By the use of the mechanism hereinbefore disclosed, the constant and intermittent rocking of the lever 54 while it causes pawl 6! or pawl 52 to engage a new tooth in the ratchet wheel 6i) and compress the spring 82, does not positively advance the shaft 55 for if the tension of the fabric be such as to overcome the expanding force of the spring 82, the pawl will not ad- Vance the ratchet fill and the shaft 55 to which it is connected. In other words, the advancing movements of the pawls iii, 62 being controlled by a resilient means including the spring 82, the

take-up action is substantially uniform there being no sudden slipping of the web with respect to the corrugated or roughened rolls 56, 58 between which the fabric passes. Furthermore, whereas formerly it was not possible to use roughened rolls when knitting very fine fabric, by the use of the present construction it is always possible to use roughened rolls although the degree of roughness is somewhat dependent upon the fineness of the fabric knitted.

The action of the take-up may be briefly described as follows. During plain knitting the cam 58 is in the relatively lowered position of Fig. 3 while during rib knitting it is in the relatively elevated position of Fig. 4 and upon movement of the cam i8 to the position shown in Fig. 4, the pawl mechanism racks. the take-up roll to a greater extent than during plain knitting and until the fabric is sufliciently tensioned for rib knitting. The cam l8 acting upon the take-up roll when in the elevated position of Fig. 4, serves to impart a greater retracting movement of the pawls and as a consequence compresses the spring 82 to a greater extent than when the cam is in the relatively lowered position of Fig. 3. As a consequence of the varying action of the cam l8 upon the take-up rolls, during rib knitting there is a greater drag or tension on the forming fabric than during the knitting of plain (not rib) fabric.

Although in the foregoing description, the various parts and combinations thereof have been described in specific terms, it is not the intention thereby to limit the terms of the following claims otherwise than will be required by the express limitations in the claims themselves.

We claim:

1. In a knitting machine adapted to knit rib and plain fabric the one a continuation of the other, a take-up roll for the knitted fabric, means for advancing the take-up roll as the fabric is knitted, said means including a cam adapted to be maintained in either one of two positions, in combination therewith automatically controlled means for acting upon said cam to move the same from one of its positions to the other when a change from plain to rib knitting or from rib knitting to plain knitting is effected, the means first mentioned being relatively ineffective as a fabric take-up when plain fabric is being knitted.

2. A knitting machine adapted to knit rib and plain fabric and including a fabric take-up comprising take-up rolls, means for advancing the rolls including intermittently actuated means which include a resilient connection adapted to advance the rolls during the knitting of rib courses unless sufficiently resisted by the tension of the forming fabric, in combination with means for reducing the tendency of the roll advancing means to advance the rolls during the knitting of fabric different from the rib fabric hereinbefore mentioned.

3. Take-up mechanism for fabric including a driven roll and means for imparting rotary movements to the roll, said means including a circular cam different portions of the circumference of which are differently positioned with respect to the take-up roll, in combination with means for circumferentially moving the cam to increase or decrease the tendency of the cam to impart rotary movements to the roll.

l. Take-up mechanism for fabric including a driven roll and means for imparting rotary movements to the roll, said means including a circular cam different portions of the circumference of which are difierently positioned with respect to the take-up roll, in combination with means for circumferentially moving the cam to increase or decrease the tendency of the cam to impart rotary movements to the roll, the said means last mentioned including a drum and cam formations thereon, a follower in engagement with the cam formations and connections from the follower to the circular cams for changing the relation of the said cam with respect to the said roll.

5. A take-up for a circular knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder adapted to knit rib and plain fabric, said take-up being connected to rotate with the needle cylinder and having rolls independently movable to tension the knitted fabric, pawl mechanism associated with the take-up rolls, a cam adapted periodically to act upon the pawl mechanism for effecting advancing movement of the take-up rolls, means for moving the cam for varying the action of the said cam upon the pawl mechanism whereby in one position of the cam the pawl mechanism tends to advance the take-up rolls to a greater extent and during the knitting of rib fabric than when the cam is in another position and during the knitting of plain fabric, in combination with automatically controlled means for moving the cam to and from its different positions.

6. A knitting machine adapted to knit rib and plain fabric and including a fabric take-up comprising take-up rolls, means for advancing the rolls including intermittently actuated means which include a resilient connection adapted to advance the rolls during the knitting of each course unless sufliciently resisted by the tension of the forming fabric, and means for advancing the take-up rolls including a cam adapted to be :maintained in either one of two positions, and

means for automatically controlling the cam to move the same from one of its positions to the other when a change from plain to rib knitting or from rib to plain knitting is effected.

7. A take-up for a knitting machine having a rotary needle bed adapted to knit fabrics having different characteristics, means for rotating the take-up means, and means for so acting upon the take-up means as to cause the forming fabric to be placed under tension thereby assisting in the proper casting off of the stitches, intermittently actuated means for advancing the take-up means during the knitting of each course of a plurality of successive courses such intermittently advancing means including a compressible spring intermittently compressed, the spring when under compression being adapted to expand thereby causing the take-up means to be advanced, the construction being such that the spring is inefiective if sufliciently resisted by the forming fabric, the means for advancing the take-up means including a cam adapted to be maintained in either one of two positions, and means for automatically controlling the cam to move the same from one of its positions to the other when a change in the character of the knitting is effected.

8. In a knitting machine adapted to knit fabrics having different characteristics, a rotary needle cylinder of the independent needle type having connected thereto to rotate therewith a take-up means including revolvable rolls between which the forming fabric passes, means for revolving the rolls consisting of intermittently actuated pawl and ratchet mechanism, in combination with means for intermittently actuating the pawl mechanism to advance the ratchet mechanism less than the distance between two adjacent teeth, the means for intermittently actuating the pawl mechanism including a circularly movable element adapted to move with the takeup rolls, said element having associated therewith a movable part for actuating the pawl mechanism for effecting periodic advancing movements of the take-up rolls, and means for automatically controlling the circularly movable element to move the same from one position to another when a change in the character of the knitting is effected.

9. In a knitting machine adapted to knit fabrics having different characteristics, a rotary needle cylinder of the independent needle type having connected thereto to rotate therewith a take-up means including revolvable rolls between which the forming fabric passes, means for revolving the rolls consisting of intermittently actuated pawl mechanism, in combination with means for intermittently actuating the pawl mechanism including a circularly movable ele ment adapted to move with the take-up rolls, said element having associated therewith a movable part for actuating the pawl mechanism, a yieldable connection for effecting periodic advancing movements of the take-up rolls during the knitting of each of successive courses when not resisted by the tension of the fabric, and means for automatically controlling the circularly movable element to move the same from one position to another when a change in the character of the knitting is eifected.

10. A take-up for a circular knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder, said take-up being connected to rotate with the needle cylinder and having rolls independently movable to tension the knitted fabric, pawl mechanism associated with the take-up rolls, a cam adapted periodically to act upon the pawl mechanism for effecting advancing movement of the take-up rolls, pattern controlled means for moving the cam for varying the action of the said cam upon the pawl mechanism whereby in one position of the cam the pawl mechanism tends to advance the takeup rolls to a greater extent than when the cam is in another position, the chain of connections between the cam and the take-up roll being such that the cam means may operate without necessarily advancing the take-up rolls.

11. A take-up for a circular knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder, said take-up being connected torotate with the needle cylinder and having rolls independently movable to tension the knitted fabric, pawl mechanism associated with the take-up rolls, a cam adapted periodically to act upon the pawl mechanism for effecting advancing movement of the take-up rolls, means for moving the cam for varying the action of the said cam upon the pawl mechanism whereby in one position of the cam the pawl mechanism tends to advance the take-up rolls to a greater extent than when the cam is in another position in combination with automatically controlled means for moving the cam to and from its different positions.

12. A take-up for a circular knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder adapted to knit fabrics having diiferent characteristics, at least one of such fabrics being rib, said take-up being connected to rotate with the needle cylinder and having rolls independently movable to tension the knitted fabric, pawl mechanism associated with the take-up rolls, a cam adapted periodically to act upon the pawl mechanism for effecting advancing movement of the take-up rolls, pattern controlled means for moving the cam for varying the action of the said cam upon the pawl mechanism whereby in one position of the cam the pawl mechanism tends to advance the takeup rolls to a greater extent than when the cam is in another position, the chain of connections between the cam and the take-up roll being such that the cam means may operate Without necessarily advancing the take-up rolls.

ROBERT H. LAWSON. ARTHUR N. CLOUTIER. 

